La fête des pères
The mission of the Centre d'art et essai de la Cinémathèque québécoise (CAECQ) is to primary program Quebec-made documentaries and independent fiction, as well as international documentaries, animated and foreign films, while encouraging opportunities for meetings between the public and the artists. Its programming is presented in conjunction with the Cinémathèque québécoise’s under the label New releases.
In La fête des pères, Ayana O’Shun explores the phenomenon of absent fathers in Black communities through her personal story and the experience of resilient, luminous women from Quebec and Guadeloupe.
Ayana O'Shun
Ayana O’Shun is a filmmaker, screenwriter and producer. Her films have been selected for over sixty festivals both nationally and internationally. Her first feature-length documentary, The Myth of the Black Woman, won the Magnus Isacsson Award at the Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM). It became the highest-grossing documentary in Quebec in 2023, remaining in the top 20 for five weeks. The film was also showcased in various festivals worldwide (including New York, Cannes, Berlin, Luxembourg, Toronto, Winnipeg and Stockholm) and was nominated for a Gémeaux Award. Her medium-length film, Black Hands – Trial of the Arsonist Slave, which explores the story of Marie-Josèphe-Angélique, a Black slave accused of setting fire to Montreal in the 18th century, received multiple awards, including the Dikola Award for Best Documentary at the Festival international du film Panafricain in Cannes and the Award for Best Foreign Film at the Écrans Noirs Festival in Yaoundé. Her short film, Doctors Without Residency, produced by the NFB, was the most-watched film on their platform for several weeks. Also an actress, Ayana has appeared is various productions, including films such as The Thawing of Ice by François Peloquin, The Guide to the Perfect Family by Ricardo Trogi, The Fall of the American Empire by Denys Arcand. She has also been featured in TV series such as Les révoltés, Un gars, une fille, District 31, À coeur battant, and Bête noire. On stage, she performed in Denis Bouchard's Le dernier sacrement.
Photo: Damian Siqueiros
